Back To School & Student Success

"It was the first day of school. But even the kindergarteners of room 2B could tell something was seriously wrong . . . Where was the teacher? Who left this sandwich on the desk? The only clue, written on the chalkboard, were three simple letters: Mr. S." --publisher's website.

"When Sarah Taylor arrives at the exclusive St. Ambrose School, she's carrying more baggage than just what fits in her suitcase. She knows she's not like the other girls--if the shabby, all-black, non-designer clothes don't give that away, the bottle of lithium hidden in her desk drawer sure does. St. Ambrose's queen bee, Greta Stanhope, picks Sarah as a target from day one--the most popular, powerful, horrible girl at school is relentless in making...

In a beautifully written, science-packed, and inspirational memoir, Egyptian-American astrophysicist Sarafina El-Badry Nance shares how she boldly carved out a place in the field of astrophysics, grounding herself in a lifelong love of the stars to face life's inevitable challenges and embrace the unknown.

"It’s a new school year, and something is different. The students’ beloved librarian, Ms. Stack, has retired. The new librarian, Ms. Bangle, is not the same! She has different ways of doing, well, everything! How will the students ever adjust? Change isn’t easy, but it can be a positive experience. With a bit of patience, and a lot of heart, it can be positively brilliant." --book jacket

"Rick is a rock. For as long as he can remember, he’s lived on the Nature Finds shelf in Room 214 alongside an acorn, some moss, and a piece of bark. One day, the teacher shows the class what rocks do outdoors, and Rick is captivated. Exploding out of volcanos? Plunging off cliffs? Now Rick’s determined to get outside—after all, he’s a rock, and rocks are made for adventure. But when Rick does make his way into the great outdoors, he finds...

Presents advice on the best strategies for learning, discussing how to avoid "rut think," stop procrastination, overcome a poor memory, use metaphors to improve understanding, and help concentration by giving the mind a break.

"Whether you are just starting middle school or getting ready for the next grade, you probably have ideas about what the school year will be like--or should be like. Maybe you imagine that perfect day in middle school, where you are picked class president, made tons of new friends, or became the captain of the soccer team, or crushed your Spanish vocab test. Or maybe you imagine more a disastrous days...where you can’t get your locker open, don’t...

"When her child went off to school, Maya Smart was shocked to discover that a good education in America is a long shot, in ways that few parents fully appreciate. Our current approach to literacy offers too little, too late, and attempting to play catch-up when our kids get to kindergarten can no longer be our default strategy. We have to start at the top. The brain architecture for reading develops rapidly during infancy, and early language experiences...

"Intelligence has little to do with standardized test results or other conventional measures of intellect, Dr. Bliss argues. Intelligence is a process, a journey defined by change that cannot be scored or taken away. Intelligence is influenced by our surroundings in ways that are often overlooked—more than Baby Mozart or flash cards or superfoods, factors like stress, connection, and play actually sculpt young minds. In Rethinking Intelligence,...

"Any parent who has ever walked out of a concerning appointment with their child's doctor or teacher has experienced a heady mix of emotions–fear, love, confusion, concern, sadness, and perhaps even anger. While every parent hopes for a healthy child, the reality is that children face many common challenges, including medical issues like ADHD, asthma, food allergies, feeding issues, learning disabilities, anxiety and depression, and developmental...